Are Your Genes to Blame for Your Belly Fat?

I've always wondered if genes had something to do with belly fat, as I'm the only one of my family with that extra heft around the middle. Perhaps I just got unlucky in the genetic lottery, and looks like I may have been right. You know how there are different body shapes?

 

I'm one of the people unfortunate enough to be in the Apple category, meaning that most of my extra is around the middle. Of course, we all knew that our body shape was something connected to genetics, but it seems that excess belly fat is part of the genetic package that you get stuck with. An article published on Science Daily way back in 1999 showed that the genetic cards are kind of stacked against us "Apple-shaped" men and women. The article detailed a study conducted with over 500 people, all of which came from sedentary families. Of those 512 people, those with Apple-shaped bodies tended to develop body fat around their middle. This in turn led to an increased risk of insulin resistance - and ultimately diabetes. [1] The worst part is that it's not just simple fat on the outer layers of tissue - the stuff that's easier to burn. It's fat that's stored deep in the visceral tissue of our midsection, so it's doubly hard to get rid of. So what does that mean for us "Apples"? Well, to put it simply, it just means we have to work harder! All the work that normal people have to do to burn fat - we have to do two or three times that much work! Our genetic makeup dictates that our belly fat is going to be more persistent, so it's going to require a lot more dedication and perseverance to get rid of it. We're going to have to spend more time not just working out, but doing fat-burning-specific workouts. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Source: muscleandfitness.com[/caption] Thankfully, we've got the myriad of videos here on BodyRock and The DailyHIIT, so we can get cracking burning that visceral fat. Us "Apples" are going to have to stick together and work extra hard to get rid of our body fat. We've also got two nifty additional tools: Fat Loss For Life -- This guide is lifestyle oriented and has meal suggestions, a full workout plan & delves into all the aspects of life that fitness effects (aging, relationships, emotions, work, etc). Get your hands on it here: http://www.dailyhiit.com/fitness-gear/guides?product_id=110 Fat Blocker - This guide is geared towards this time of year and focuses on how to stick to your nutrition and exercise goals throughout the holidays with smart partying tips, meal ideas, a full workout plan and a FREE printable workout calendar.  Get your hands on it here: http://bit.ly/1dB1VVl No, this isn't shameless promotion of a product, but it's me sharing with you what worked. I've been using these two guides for a while now, and I've seen good results. The genetic cards are stacked against us, so we need all the help we can get!   [1] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/02/990226080632.htm Sources: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2005.265/full http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/82/3/781.long